About

Exeter Community Initiatives - supporting individuals and communities to fulfil their potential

ECI supports the development of strong communities in the Exeter area where local people can fulfil their potential, and increase their self-esteem, confidence and skills. We seek to tackle the local effects of poverty, increase people's control of their lives, reduce inequality, and promote collective action, particularly amongst those who are experiencing disadvantage or social exclusion.

We meet this aim through:

• identifying and responding to unmet need
• promoting, enabling and undertaking community development
• working collaboratively to develop, support and run a wide range of projects
• challenging and addressing the causes of social exclusion.

ECI achieves these aims through managing community projects such as:

• Beacon Heath Community Project - Building a stronger community through working with people of all ages, to develop a range of community activities
• Community Hubs - Supporting community buildings and local associations to be focal points for community activity
• Flying Start Children's Centre - Enabling children to thrive and develop by offering individual family support and parenting programmes for families with children 16 and under
• Flying Start Family Resource - Creating postive beginnings for children under 5 and their families by providing support and advice
• Harvest - Increasing skills and confidence through  food growing actitivites
• Homelessness Collaboration Project - Facilitating collaborative working within the homelessness sector  in Exeter
• Transitions- Working with people making the transition to independent living

How do we work?

The way we work, or our values, are as important to us as what we actually do. Indeed for a social inclusion and development agency, the two are inextricably linked. We aim to work in the following ways:

• As part of an inclusive culture, which works in partnership with others to identify the most appropriate ways of responding to need and challenging social exclusion
• By emphasising the value of individuals and the importance of developing their potential
• By supporting the development of independent projects and initiatives where possible
• By promoting Equal Opportunities and challenging discrimination
• Through respecting the importance of ecology and the environment to personal and social well-being
• With a professional approach involving the provision of quality services and organisational practice
• Through a recognition of the importance of proper research, and the need for regular monitoring and evaluation of our work
• Through an acknowledgement of our Christian roots as part of the recognition of the wider spiritual dimension in all our work.

When and why was ECI set up?

How does ECI work to help people fulfil their potential?

Who manages the work of ECI?

How is ECI funded and who have we partnered with?